Plano ISD Transfer Decision Proves Controversial Among Parents

PLANO (CBSDFW.COM) – A heated meeting is expected between parents of Plano students and the district’s superintendent Monday night over a decision to transfer students from a low-income apartment complex to their school.

The Plano Independent School District plans to move a number of students who live in the Champions apartment complex from Huffman Elementary to Rose Haggar Elementary

Montrae Whittaker faces the prospect of changing schools next year even though his mother says the second grader is better off where he is.

“He has a lot of learning disabilities and since school started ‘til now he has progressed tremendously,” says Lisa Wallace, Montrae’s mother.

She says Huffman Elementary has established after school programs for special needs students like her son. Parents of Haggar students oppose the rezoning plans.

Hoffman and other parents say the move will cause overcrowding and push Haggar’s capacity to 100 percent while other surrounding schools remain below it.

Huffman also argues Haggar is further away from the complex because a gated community blocks a direct route.

“There’s other schools like Barksdale that have the capacity to take on additional students and they’re not part of the solution Jackson’s not part of it I don’t understand why,” said Hoffman.

Some parents think the district is protecting exemplary schools such as Barksdale and others while lower rated schools like Haggar pay for it.

“It certainly is a theory that evidence can point to,” says Nancy Lerman, parent. “They don’t have the percentage of economically disadvantaged child that we do they’re not getting any in this rezoning we would be under this current proposal and it really makes you wonder.”

Neither Plano’s superintendent or school board would comment on the proposal until it’s voted on Tuesday.